ElectronicsNeed help wiring something up? Thinking of adding an electrical component to your car? Need help troubleshooting that wiring glitch?
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I have a problem with my high beams not working. i switched out the lights and they work. But when i pull to turn high beams on the lights go out. need some advice i have some electronic knowledge. I think its a short unless there is fuse that runs that only. Everything else works turn signals back up lights tail lights just the high beams don't. i do have a burnt out turn signal light but idk if that would mess up the high beams not working will it?
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Sounds like you either have a bad dimmer switch or a misaligned switch. The multifunction lever (blinker stem) operates a rod to actuate the switch that is located on your steering column under the dash, most likely have to lower the column to get at it. If the blinker stem operates smoothly and makes a solid click every time you pull it forward, then it's probably aligned correctly and the switch has gone bad, and not completing the high beam circuit.
if everything above stands true, then yea sounds like high beam wire coming from the column to the actual lights, the front headlights share the same grounds as far as i know...may be wrong. Before you go tearing your entire steering column apart (fun in itself) trace all wires from your headlights to the firewall, and check underneath where they come in to the steering column, see if you can find anything that may have some how kinked or got cut. Then i would jump into the column. If you went ahead and tore apart the column just to find out it was somewhere else you would really kick yourself. lol
Then i would jump into the column. If you went ahead and tore apart the column just to find out it was somewhere else you would really kick yourself. lol
I couldn't agree more, but my "guess" is that Al is correct. I experienced Berlin's symptoms (driving at night when the lights went out. Scared the dickens out of me). The culprit was the dimmer switch, which is located at the bottom exterior of the column. IIRC, part of the rod can be seen as well.
JamesC
__________________ "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, / Than are dreamt of in your philosophy." Hamlet
i read that too, but he's saying "pull to turn on the high beams" whats he pulling on?! the tilt lever??? lol, naw i didn't know what was up with that either. (highly doubtful, i know about the berlys not the gta's maybe someone else does...) curious...doubtful...but do the digital gta's have the same light module?
if it's infact a berly your better off hardwiring a switch for the high beams because your going to be paying a fortune for a working light module, trust me. Even a pretty penny, i just sold a turn signal/headlight switch unit that worked for $50ish so.
early on with mine i was informed that my light module was dead from a berlinetta specialist (idk how official as he was wrong but...) but i coudl'nt get my turn signals to work...and when i hit the switch i heard the clikc of the relay on the passenger side...but i got no response, and i had the hazards so i figured it was good, i also noticed that the back up lights didn't work. Ended up after hours of tooling around with it switched out my park/nuetral switch and i got my reverse lights back as well as my turn signals so, you never really know with berlinettas...good luck!
That's a good question ! Is the Car a Berlinetta, a "regular" Camaro, or a Berlinetta with a "regular" Camaro column in it ??
Quote:
switched out my park/nuetral switch and i got my reverse lights back as well as my turn signals
That's a new one for me !! The Reverse lights I can understand, but the turn signals ?? I've heard a lot of strange Berlinetta problems over the years, but never that one !
yea don't ask me, i was just happy to get them back as i was illegally throwing the car on the road to get it back to my house from my shop, and it just helped so i was , lol
berlin305, we're waiting on your reply and we can help ya from there!
ok lol. i have a tilt column and no it don't have a digital cluster gauge. its normal. The thing i said pull i mean the turn signal shifter you pull back to turn you're high beams on or off. But when i do that the high beam switch clicks but it turns both the high and low beams completely off. so maybe its a switch. now i was asking if the turn signal bulb since it was out would make it not let the high beams turn on and completely turn all the lights out??? just a ? b/c sometimes things are wired screwy.
Sounds like a faulty switch, or a loose wire from the switch like mentioned before. Your lights for low beam actually have 2 filaments in them, that's why there are 3 terminals on the back - one for ground and one each for low and high beam. When you select high beam, the dimmer switch removes the voltage from the low beam terminal and applies it to the high beam terminal. That's why all the lights go out when the highs don't work I would most likely be looking at the dimmer switch under the dash on the steering column.
yea, if you have a true 1986 berlinetta it's supposed to be a digital interior with digital guages and all sorts of digital stuff that overglorified the car. Thats why we were confused. Sounds like someone did a convertion on yours already. Yea it sounds like the wire from the switch in the column, but thats why i said back, trace all the wires from the headlights to the firewall, and then inside the car the firewall to the column visually, if you see anything that looks like it might be melted or cut or anything fishy, just check it out. Otherwise i agree it's probably the dimmer switch. Good luck!
yea, if you have a true 1986 berlinetta it's supposed to be a digital interior with digital guages and all sorts of digital stuff that overglorified the car. Thats why we were confused. Sounds like someone did a convertion on yours already. Yea it sounds like the wire from the switch in the column, but thats why i said back, trace all the wires from the headlights to the firewall, and then inside the car the firewall to the column visually, if you see anything that looks like it might be melted or cut or anything fishy, just check it out. Otherwise i agree it's probably the dimmer switch. Good luck!
Really. hmmm i didn't know that. Says camaro on the sides.. Maybe its just a regular camaro. B/c my friend had it since he was a kid and i bought it from him and as i remember it was not digital so i might be mistaken that its a berlinetta. I will find out more info on that. And the reason i said all lights go out i thought lol that the dim and high were together. I will do a run through the wiring tommorrow. Hey does anybody know about what type of conversion kit to make it manual????
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and what i mean by that is putting a clutch pedal in i know how to do the rest its just can't find a pedal with a clutch i might have to go to a junk yard unless there is an aftermarket you guys know any ?
Last edited by berlin305; 12-19-2007 at 07:23 PM.
Reason: Automerged Doublepost
don't think there is a convertion kit for it, put an add up in the forum "engine/drivetrain parts wanted" and you should be able to get someone to send you a complete convertion kit. all used parts of course but they should be able to pull together everything you need to do the convertion, the most you might need to find will be the shifter panel.
If it was a berlinetta you would probably know. It said it on the sail panels, on the rear bumper and the front bumper, dash is totally different and center console is totally different. I can't remember what the RPO is for it if there was one, i believe it was in the VIN, but either way if he had it since he was little, then i doubt it is one because someone somewhere would have needed an entire car to do the convertion, it's a PITA, and it sounds like it's been this way for a really long time so doubt it. You can check the VIN number, John in RI should be able to get you the vin letter for berlinetta if it was special, i just don't have the information infront of me right now. Good luck!
Look for the Letter "S" at the 5th position in the Vin. All "regular" Camaros have a "P" in this location - Only the Berlinetta was a seperate body line and all other variations got an RPO code.
Many people see the word "berlinetta" on the front plate bracket and assume the car is a Berlinetta. I've seen that happen countless times over the years !
Here's a diagram of the Headlight system,........ Hope this helps !
I appreciate the diagram which i didn't have. I need to get a book on the diagram for the car b/c i am good with electronics of figuring it out. I found the problem which i think it needs a new plug for the high beam. it was all stretched out and corroded. which the wires were touching so i will need to get a plug socket to plug in the light. and as for the seeing it is a berlinetta i will update on that and find out. If i remember correctly it has a S not for sure i will recheck. Thanks for the help. Hoping that what i found is the problem. Maybe another wire that got burned by the damn header. Long story won't go there.
just so you know...in the tech articles off of the home page if you go down and look, you will see "1986 Wiring Diagrams", does wonders and it is pretty good for most years, but it's just your luck that it covers your exact year. Hope that helps on any future issues, but feel free to come back for help!!! Good luck!
is NOT A BERLINETTA thank you for the misconception on my part. it has a p in it. what else can the vin number tell me?
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also on my insurance card is has Camaro CP whats the cp stand for?????
Last edited by berlin305; 12-21-2007 at 08:12 PM.
Reason: Automerged Doublepost
Bringin this back up. NOt that its not working it was the dimmer switch that was fried and come to find out along with that the ignition switch was bad to. But all fixed. Just wanted to let you all know that. Thank you for the information. Been a while thought i would post up the update ect... Its coupe not berlinetta. I was a noob when it came to style of the camaro's. I now know a lot more now than when i did when i first bought this car. WIth all your's help thank you much appreciated.
Missed that he was driving a Berlinetta. Not real familiar with them, but the above would hold true if he has regular steering column. 
, lol
is NOT A BERLINETTA thank you for the misconception on my part. it has a p in it. what else can the vin number tell me?
